What do YOU want?

So, I have had a great deal of time to think over the past few days so I have a lot to post about. One thing that I actually noticed a long time ago is that I am able to quickly identify personalities. I don't know exactly how this works, but I have always continued to practice my skill of breaking down personalities of all of the different people I meet. Okay, don't be scared because I know that this could very easily get misconstrued into other things but I really do look at this in other people. You can see signs of how people feel about themselves & many different subjects by their language & even more by their body language.

I key in on the non-audio ques that people send off. There is something that hammered that I am correct to notice & expand on this. There are many videos about how to saddle train a horse without the traditional beating & riding a horse until it quits fighting. There are other videos show the body language of horses in the wild with one another, & there is another video that shows a man that breaks horses using this body language & not having to beat the horses at all. Okay, wow...so now we are all horses? NO!!! This is just one example of sociology of how we interact with others & the meaning & applicability it has to our everyday lives.

So, what personality are looking for in a partner. These can't only be things that you can find out in questions, because actions speak louder than words ever can. If you really want to be at the front of the curve, you will capture these things that you are looking for & keep track of them. The funny thing is that you may not know them right away! That is perfectly okay too, but after a night of sleep & you not being able to shake the feelings you got from the experience...you should reflect & identify what about their personality is it that your trigger. In closing, I challenge you all to just go out & identify what it is about the different people in your lives that, if you could put together, would make your perfect partner. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!

Thomas

Unexpected

I recently took some shortly planned vacation time with some friends. I had the opportunity to go to Colorado & experience the beauty & serenity of the mountains. I got to just revel in the peace that surrounded me as I continued to attempt to master the skill of snowboarding. I am no expert, but am now confident that I can adequately maneuver with both of my feet attached to a single board on a slick surface of snow ;^) We will see if this holds true this coming week!!!

I also got the chance to meet some new friends, which is always a great time for me. I believe that there are no strangers, just friends we have not met yet. I met a friend who answered a question that has never left my head. This furthered my belief that things are brought to our attention as we need them, but that we always have to be looking for them because so many people just miss the signs & are left with questions as they grow older. I will call them the, "what if's" that we have almost all heard from our parents or close family.

As I typed this, I was shown more proof for my point. I took one type of snack with me on my vacation. Nature Valley Oats & Honey bars...props!!! They rock! I have never seen a commercial for them, but did just as I was typing the previous paragraph & the meaning that came to me is this. God & faith are what fulfill & satisfy our wants & needs when the time is right. This goes both ways, which means that if there are things in our lives that should not be there they will be taken in a sort of justice. Just like Love can be a thief of our heart.

So what... What is all of this supposed to mean to you? I can't actually tell you what it will mean to you, but what I can tell you is... Have faith that what is meant to come into your life will come in perfect timing even if we think that we would like for it to come sooner. If things are taken from your life, please take time to reflect on what is really supposed to mean to you & in your life. Maybe that person or thing was simply supposed to show you that what you are looking for is out there & the timing will be perfect. My heart is filled with faith that you will have all that you want in life if you take time to reflect & stay open & looking for the signs that are waiting to show you how to receive what you need & want. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!

Thomas

What Love Means

I was recently talking with one of my best friends who is like a brother to me & listening to some great music so he could hear some of the lyrics I have had in my head for the past couple of weeks. One line in particular struck me as post worthy. The line states, "Still don't know what Love means." I couldn't help but think about this while I listened to the rest of the song & it hit me while I thought about what Love means to me.

It hit me that I don't know what Love means even though I may have perceptions. To clarify, I don't know what it means to be loved by a partner. Unless Love is supposed to be pain & loss is supposed to somehow be justice. In my head & perceptions, Love is something that cannot be overcome, fade, & something that we would be willing to die for. I know I have loved, because I know I have had to let my own wants & needs die so that someone else could be happy because I cared about their happiness & in the end that is all I could do is let them go, so that if they truly loved me they would return in perfect timing.

There is perfect timing for the thing that happen in our lives. The thing is that we have to have our eyes are open to that timing, or we falter & get caught in the flow of the world like the raindrops that end up on the roadway all flowing the same direction controlled by the others. Even though I know these facts & try to stay conscious of them, I still falter sometimes & have to drag myself out of the stream shake off & come back to myself. I know how hard it is sometimes to look the other way when things are put into & especially taken from your life, to realize that it's not your fault, & come to the realization that people & things will come & go in perfect timing. I just ask that the next time you go through something you are not sure if you can handle that you think about what I have said here. I couldn't be happier to call any of you a friend, if not for the simple fact that I know that if you have read this far you understand me!

Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all friends!!!
Thomas

Forever My Friend

Today, I am inspired to write about a song that I haven't been able to stop listening to all day. The title is the same as the title of this post & is by Ray LaMontagne. A wonderfully chill musician who's lyrics speak to my soul like a reflection of my feelings. This song in particular appeals to me probably due in part to its tie into relationships. It is a beautiful musical representation that sings love & happiness through its notes. The lyrics on top of the tune polish the whole experience.

The song describes a true surrender of personal judgment & displays a true reflection into the friendship & trust that hold relationships together. The song clearly notes the fact that we all go through changes in our lives, but we can grow with one another to become better friends...no make that best friends. Whether we are right or wrong throughout the many changes & challenges does not matter! It is the fact that we begin with the essentials of respect for others, trust of them, a heart full of love, & open communication to allow us the ability to tell others what we need.

Maybe some people would say that I share too much sometimes, but the fact is that when you talk with me you know that you are getting who I am. I will be the first to admit that I am not a perfect communicator, but I do try to think carefully about what I say while realizing that I will never be perfect & that I may sometimes have to correct myself. I will never be perfect for everyone, but the fact is that for the friends, family, & lovers that are right for my life...I am perfect just how I am flaws & all & I never have to worry about who I am with these friends. To those who like me for who I am & who I am not. Thank You & I Love You Too!!!

So, today ask yourself how you can begin to free yourself from even one barrier that you have put up that could be keeping you back from finding the right people in your life & that may be attracting the wrong. Again, I just have to say that if my posts speak to your heart I am thankful & I wish you the best in everything you do! Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!

God Bless You!
Thomas

My Mom

As we pour ourselves & our feelings out into the world, we reflect the way we were raised. The people we have met throughout our lives, our experiences, & especially our family shows through. The passing of Valentine's Day made me think of the women that mean so much to me. One in particular, my mother, is by far the best person that will ever touch my life & not just because she gave me life. My mother has overcome more things than I could even begin to put onto this page & she has come through them with an unending positive attitude & love in her heart.

My mother has been able to successfully raise 3 great men. Let me assure you that the times & circumstances have not been favorable, but she never ceases to amaze me in her resilience. Our relationship is not traditional, but is more open like a friendship. Many people are amazed by our communication style with one another, but my mother raised me to be independent & have my own opinions as I am sure you know I do. For all of the reasons above & many more, I wanted to take time to write to say how much I Love my mother. My mother is the most wonderful woman that will ever grace my life & I am thankful every day that she is my mother & loves me without judgment. Since I am sure I will never say it enough, I say it today in this way so that it is here if she ever needs to see it. Mom...I Love You & thank you for all that you are & all that you are not!!!

Take time to honor your mother today. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!

God Bless You!
Thomas

The Click

This post is about a typical American feeling about the click & instant gratification that we as a society have come accustomed to. I also have to start with an apology to those few that chose to follow my blog that I haven't been on in a couple of days. I have been busy with a couple of things, but I have been thinking of what I would write about next & had the ideas I will write about next developing in my head so they should be good reads. The first thing that I have to blog about is one that I feel may be very worthy of further development into something bigger.

What do I mean by, "the click?" The click refers to the American feeling of, "if it feels good, do it" & the instant gratification our society has come accustomed to. In today's society, we have become accustomed to this almost instant gratification. We have grown accustomed to things like IM (instant messaging), text messaging, emails, & other forms of communication that we have come to expect instant answers & in a sense gratification from. Our society has made means of communication so instant that if we don't receive responses in the time frame we expect we get upset. What we sometimes fail to realize is that the person on the other end may actually be too busy to respond or maybe not have gotten our message.

Does this mean that the other person does not care or respect us? The answer to this is simple, NO! If we feel this way, we have to realize that this feeling is one that we have been programed to feel. The speed of technology is not always succinct with the speed of communication & thought of everyone. We still have to practice the same compassion that we exhibited when we did not have these forms of instant interaction, because we cannot always rely on technology to fully communicate what we feel.

So, today I just challenge you all to free yourself from your feeling that you need this instant gratification & revere in your ability to express yourself & your feelings. I feel that we are a reflection of our feelings & the best way to live is happy, full of love, & unafraid of expressing ourselves. Peace, love, & happiness to you all!!!

God Bless You!
Thomas

Water

Today as I prepared to run, fully knowing that the rain was starting would continue to come down harder, I was not thinking about the water & if I could learn anything from it. As I began to run & felt the raindrops on my lips, the cool feeling of them running down my face & off my lips reminded me of running in the winter & how the snowflakes would hit my face & lips with a sting & almost instantly disappear unlike the raindrops. Okay, I understand that this may not be a typical thought process & especially not a typical action to go running in any weather, but if you bear with me I think you will like the point when I get there & maybe enjoy the road there ;^)

The fact that I began to think about is that both the snowflake & raindrop are water, but come in all different shapes & sizes just like people. They all come together in a particular way through bonds & these bonds are able to be broken in different ways, just like the bonds of our relationships can. These thoughts made me wonder just how much of us is water. From my findings of a quick Google search, I found that babies are made of approximately 78% water, while adult males & females are approximately 60% & 55% water respectively. The difference in men & women reflects the fact that the majority of women have a higher percentage of fat than men for obvious reasons.

I am intrigued by the fact that we are over half water & how we are so similar to water in so many ways. I addition to the ones sited above we also have different reactions when heated, we all have ways to change to get to where we want to go, & we all take many different sizes & have somewhere specific that we fit. Whether we are more like cool raindrops or bitter snowflakes we are all just like water, & we all can be brought down by the gravity of the world but the fact is that when our sun comes again we all rise against the gravity & create beautiful things. Those things could be anything from a great story, wonderful friendship, passionate romance, deep love, a family, or even just a smile on someone's face. So, the next time you feel like you have too much to handle, feel down, or can't see the light at the end of your tunnel you can rest knowing that there is someone out there who will will fit together with you, love you for who you are without change, someone who will love you on your up & down days, & who will think that sun shines out your ass... I know that I have found some people like that, you will find them too, & they will find you as well.

In all of your journeys & all of your travels, may the waters of life keep you true to the path you create & always work together for good. The love in my heart for you can never be expressed in mere words, but in time & through expressions you will come to know how much you mean to me & all of the others that you connect with. Have a wonderful & blessed day! Peace, Love, & Happiness to you always!!!

Thomas

The Gift of Time

In everyone's life, there comes a time when they need someone when they need to lean. We are not always strong 100% of the time & we all need friends & family to compliment our lives. Someone that we can call on when we get the carpet pulled out from under us. Someone to call when we cannot stand on our own & just need a shoulder to be there. Does this mean that we are weak people who are needy & are always in need of something more than ourselves to make it through?

Simply put, NO! As I stated above, we cannot be 100% all the time & sometimes we need to lean, & this does not make us any less capable or amazing than we were created to be If anything it makes us that much more human & amazing than we are already. While I was thinking about this, I was overcome with a feeling of richness. So, I thought that it was worthy of further exploration.

This all happened yesterday when I was walking & began to think about richness & about the different meanings it can have just like success. I remembered my meaning for richness & success & was instantly brought to a smile! I realized that I am richer than I had ever imagined I would be at my young age. Friendship & Family are treasures that Life bestows upon us that can be taken away at any point. This fact is why I chose to live my life ensuring that if life ended my life would continue to shine through all of the lives I have been blessed enough to touch. I know our time is limited here & I continue to try my hardest to pass on the unending happiness & love that has been shown to me. I have begun to live my life so that no matter what happens to me, I can rest with a smile & burden-free heart knowing that I have not left things unsaid or undealt with.

Living without fear of others presumptions is the most freeing thing I have ever experienced. Like the saying that those who fear death have things that they have not said, done, or expressed. I am living without that fear, because I know that the people that I LOVE know that I LOVE them like my family & all my friends. It is the most freeing feeling I have ever experienced! Knowing that everything has been said & that the people I care about know exactly how I feel is amazing. I am truly happy that the blessings I have been given have been able to shine through me & brighten the lives of those I care about deeply. I pray that the lives you touch will receive all of the blessing that you have been given.

My heart is overflowing with LOVE for you all & for the wondrous affect that you will ultimately have on the world. The affect that we have on the world is not as small as we would like to imagine. So, let the light you have been given show through you so that together we can light up the world through any darkness. For all of the things that we cannot explain or that just amaze us, give praise & thanks for another day to breath & to get one step closer to accomplishing what we were put her for. I know that you will accomplish everything that was set in your plan & am thankful that you have shined on my life. Peace, Love, & Happiness to all of you friends!!!

Thomas

You Tell Me

Today, I was again amazed by the way that God brings & takes people from your life. I have a friend that is not a big church goer that was recently distanced from my life for a little while. Then, today I was amazed to see them again in passing on the street. This in itself is not particularly surprising & it takes a full explanation of the facts to see my reason for amazement.

The facts begin like this. I was preparing to leave my house for a walk & for some reason could not get the things I was taking with me together for what seemed like 10 minutes. I was really frustrated by the time I finally got the things together that I wanted. Then I decided to listen to some new music I had just downloaded today. I did not notice until after we had talked & I had learned that she was on her way to church (remember they are not church goer) that the name of the song that was on when we were passing was "You are the best thing." A smile came to my face instantly when I noticed this, because God is the best thing I know, & I have seen many miracles from God in my life that have not only amazed me but also kept me alive in more than one instance.

While I do not know what all of this means, I don't have to! This is just another display of God's greatness. These displays are all over & show in our lives many times, but few choose to see or hear. Like the saying, "Many are called, but few answer." May God give you all peace, patience, & Love in your hearts! Today I just praise God & smile the many ways God shows through in our lives. Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all!!!

Thomas

Why to Be Quiet in Church

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, 'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'

One bright little girl replied, 'Because people are sleeping.'

Do Girls Like Nice Guys?

Today I attempted to think about thing from a different perspective. I have attempted to consider things from the perspective of a female. From a very young age, males & females begin to develop communication patterns. At our earliest age, neither sex is interested in the other. Females then begin to fancy boys, maybe due to their mothers teaching them to be nurturing, & express this through loving expressions. Guys can all remember getting valentines & candy, seeing girls giggle & talk about you while smiling at you constantly, & then the approach whether it be through a friend on the playground, a note in class, or a stolen kiss on the playground.

Guys are creatures of a different color & taught to be strong & not display emotion. So, when they begin to display emotions of affection they often come out as some sort of rough display just to get them close to the girl, maybe a push on the play ground or making fun of them. So, why would this get confusing to us later in life when we actually want to know what our partner or possible partner is thinking & it especially wouldn't hinder us from knowing what they need would it? Simple...of course, this is the exact reason! We are different & have to learn the communication patterns of the opposite sex. This is not easy & is not something that someone can just write a book for you to read & then...oh now I get it, right? Exactly!

Males, Females, Relationships, & Love are dynamic. They are not static & constantly growing. The choice you have is to either grow apart from your partner or actually do your part & work to keep growing together. How do we do this? Well, the major center thing has to be communication, then you must have compassion & openness. The key to all of these things is knowing yourself & watching out for your quirks that could stand in the way. Things like passive aggressiveness, trigger happy with words, being overly opinionated, etc...

That is all fine & dandy, but what about the guys that learn to be kind, compassionate, loving, & all around great men. Do females really like that? I am sure that most women will quickly answer, YES. I am sure that there are many women that do & I do not doubt that at all, but there are also far too many that exhibit a pattern of relationships that would contradict this even if they would like to deny it. So, is there one cause? This is one question I could not come to a conclusion about. There are some things I would site as possibilities like fear stemmed from the hurt of previous relationships because when feelings get intense it may subconsciously bring back emotions from times you acted on those feelings with the wrong person & they hurt you because they were a jerk. Other reasons could be letting outside relationships & circumstances affect the relationship that should be solely between you & your partner, or fear that this could actually be the right person for you, or maybe we get caught up in the world chasing things that will not ultimately make us as happy as the best relationship we could ever have could. I challenge all of these people to rise above all of the reasons keeping you from having the relationship you deserve, because there is a good person out there for you if you do!

There is no one answer for how to fix every reason that good people don't always end up together, but there are many things that we can do to ensure that we end up with the right person. Take time to learn about yourself & what qualities add to the positive affect you have on the world & others, then be compassionate to the fact that you will not always have all the answers or know exactly how to best communicate to your partner & this is a two way street, then be open & don't hold back from sharing how you feel...after you think it through...because if you do all this you will never have to worry that you did not say enough & can be confident that you will never say too much (if you ensure what you say is how you feel). What you say will bring the right people into your life & take the wrong from it. Love, Peace, Happiness, & Laughter to you all!!!

Thomas

Unwanted Visitor...

A man, down on his luck, went into a church which catered to the "uppity".
Spotting the man's dirty clothes a deacon, worried about the churches image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help.
The man said, "I was praying and the Lord told me to come to this church."

The deacon suggested that the man go pray some more and possibly he might get a different answer.
The next Sunday the man returned.
The deacon asked, "Did you get a different answer?"

The man replied, "Yes I did. I told the Lord that they don't want me in that church and the Lord said,
'Don't worry about it son; I've been trying to get into that church for years and haven't made it yet."

Crossfire

I was recently talking with a good friend about my recent posts & how they have tended to discuss relationships & they questioned the reason, which I found worthy of further reflection & mention. I have always been interested in the dynamics of relationships from the interactions between the people to the affect that they have on people other than the couple like family & friends. I can see this reflected in my past when I would actually match up people I thought would go well together that may not get together without a little help.

This thought & reflection prompted me to think further in to the affect of a relationship those other than the couple. The people that can sometimes unjustly get caught in the crossfire when things don't work. Through these events friendships & family are sometimes lost. Does this have to be the case? The answer is simple, no. Is it an easy process to rekindle those relationships with distanced family & friends? Again the answer is simple, not always.

To revisit the idea of redeveloping, & I use this term because it will be different, both parties must set clear expectations of one another & consequences for deviation just like parents do when teaching children. We must learn to operate within new boundaries, but the reward is well worth a little bit of self development is it not? Friends are treasures of life that shouldn't be taken for granted, but respected just like we want to be treated...which is how I feel we should treat everyone!

The question is should we strive to be the type of person that doesn't let situations or external relationships affect how we feel toward someone & shouldn't that be controlled solely by the relationship between us & who we decide to befriend or love? Or should we let external relationships guide & control our feelings toward others? I personally feel that if we do let external relationships & circumstances guide how we feel toward another person, then we effectively give up control of our life. So, today I challenge you to rise above situations & circumstances that may be holding you from relationships you want to have & take control so that you can enjoy all of the treasures that the has to offer to your life. Have a blessed day! Peace, Love, & Happiness to you all...oh yeah & don't forget to laugh today :^)

Heart in my Hands

I'm sittin watchin waitin with my heart in my hand
The wind starts blowin with a chill I just can't stand
As I look up at my heart & start to shiver
& the sun shuts on my head
Only moments later I can feel the warmth come again
I feel it on my backside, warmin me up again
& look up at the sunlight & praise a brand new day
then I hear the warm wind whisper welcome to today
And I jump & kiss the sky...beamin rays of light from me
I realize that I have been blessed with the greatest life!

Part of a song I made to represent the cycles we all go through when we put ourselves out there & live our lives like there is no tomorrow. Because we are not gauranteed a set amount of time. We all fall & receive our bumps & bruises or maybe someone else is there to knock us down & give them to us, but no matter how...we all get them & there is one fact that goes along with this. The fact is that if we are blessed with more time here to experience the world, the sun will set & in the morning it will rise again. There will be storms & there will be glorious rainbows after the storms. So, take the time to feel, enjoy, & revel in what the world has to teach us, the good & the bad, not being afraid of what happens or what others will think all the time. If you live in this way of being true to yourself, you can rest assured that the wrong people will be taken from your life & that the right people, while they may go away sometimes, will always be there...if not in body in spirit. Love, Peace, & Happiness to you, your family, & all those you truely love.

Thomas

Choice

Today, I would like to pose a situation for you to ponder. The situation is as follows: you have a hectic schedule keeping up with your wide network of family & close friends, a full-time job that you love, school full-time to prepare you for your future career in the health care field, & on top of all this you have a new love interest who you have a spark with & feel like you have known them for a long-time. You feel stretched so thin that you can't find enough hours to sleep, you have to plan time with friends every other week, & at points in the day you feel so tired & drained that you can barely keep it together. So, you feel like you have too much going on & need to cut back somewhere.

Family & friends are the people that you lean on when things get tough & the first to understand & sympathize with your situations. You need money to survive, so it is hard to change your work situation. School is a given too, because it is going to get you to your professional goals. This leads us to the new relationship you have in your life, which would not be fun to walk away from because there is always that chance for love. So, the question is what do you do? Where do you cut back or is there a way to balance these things?

There may not be a perfect answer & there is definitely not a finite right or wrong answer, but the degree of change in your life will always result in a change to something in your life in the opposite direction as a result. So, lets look at some hypothetical answers because we have basically boiled it down to a couple factors you can change your love life or your work schedule. I will not attempt to answer this question, but let you make your judgments as to what you would do if you had to make this decision. I would like to leave you with the 2 following thoughts for you to ponder while making your decision. In life, what will provide you the most satisfaction & security money or a relationship? Many people go through life letting their work define who they are & then one day they cannot do the same work anymore for one of life's many reasons & then they feel lost, but those who work to live & live for life & love can always find happiness in even the smallest things. So, what would you do?

Thomas

Troy Polamalu

So, Troy Polamalu says in an interview on ESPN... So, I was walkin through the grocery store & my rubber band broke & my hair came out, so I tackled this lady & next thing I know I'm in handkuffs. Absolutely hillarious...if it doesn't make full sense to you, he is known for combing out his hair before football games...lol

Ponderance...

First of all, I have to say that today is a wonderful day! Again, I awaken thinking about relationships. I swear I will not be stuck on this issue forever, but do enjoy critically thinking about it. As I have stated in previous posts, one we all have been told that they do not define us & if we do let one define us it should be the relationship we have with our God. The other interesting part is that when this further develops in my head I think that God exemplifies Love & Love is what gives the desire to find another person that we can share our lives with.

So, we put our hearts on the line & seek out that other piece of us...that in some way seems to complete us. I know...I know...thank you Jerry McGuire :) But seriously, the majority of us look for that person that fits with us, electrifies us, & makes us smile at the thought of them. So, we do open our hearts & let others in. Sometimes we learn from the times we do, sometimes it turns out like the sad movies & we are left broken down & wondering why we had to have that experience, & other times we are absolutely stunned. Although we are constantly learning from these experiences, we many times internalize the things that happen & ask ourselves...why me?

For myself, I wonder if I did something in the bigger scheme of things that qualified me to deserve it. I think about it & realize that I did not do anything & that I am not the only one that has walked this road before, but I can be the best at walking this road & set an example on my journey! So, what is the point then? The point is this...Even though we must endure tests, challenges, & storms in our lives, they are there for the sole purpose of teaching us what we need to know to fulfill our destiny. So, don't be afraid to express your thoughts & feelings & if you do that you will never have to think about what could have been or worry about attracting the wrong people. Also, have fun thinking about how you will feel when you get to the place your road leads. Will you feel silly for thinking too into things, happy that you went through them, or will you not even care? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure...good things come to good people & you are a good person! Love, peace, & happiness to you all!!!

Thomas